Why are "lilies" used to describe lips in Song of Solomon 5:13? Canonical Text “His cheeks are like beds of spice, towers of scented herbs. His lips are lilies, dripping with myrrh.” — Songs 5:13 Botanical Identity Archaeobotanical samples from the Middle and Late Bronze strata at Megiddo and Beth-Shean include Lilium candidum (Madonna lily) pollen, confirming its presence in biblical Canaan (J. Zohary, Plants of the Bible, 1982). This lily displays: 1. Delicately curved, petal-like tepals that flare outward like slightly parted lips. 2. A gleaming white exterior with subtle pink-red streaks near the throat—mirroring the blush of healthy lips. 3. A heady fragrance strong enough to perfume a room, paralleling the groom’s “dripping myrrh.” Color and Aesthetic Parallel Ancient Hebrew poetry often pairs visual and olfactory traits. The bride observes the soft shape and gentle tint of the groom’s mouth. Lily petals, kissed by dawn light, show a faint rose tinge along their edges (noted by Pliny, Natural History 21.18). Thus, “lips are lilies” invokes: • Form—petals curl like upper and lower lips. • Hue—white purity overlaid with rosy grace. • Texture—silky smoothness, inviting touch. Fragrance Analogy Myrrh exudes when resin “bleeds” from a Commiphora tree; so the Hebrew participle nōṭep (“dripping”) pictures fragrant words flowing from the groom’s mouth. Lilies emit a continuous scent from dawn till dusk (observed by Sirach 39:14), making the simile doubly sensory: sight and smell converge to celebrate life-giving speech (cf. Proverbs 16:24; Luke 4:22). Poetic Function: Intensified Parallelism Song 5:10-16 forms a chiastic hymn: A 10-11—Head, hair B 12—Eyes C 13—Cheeks/lips B' 14—Hands/body A' 15—Legs The central C-line highlights communicative faculties. By inserting “lilies,” the poet magnifies the groom’s covenantal eloquence—the very climax of the bride’s admiration. Symbolism in the Hebrew Canon 1. Purity—Hos 14:5 “He will blossom like the lily.” 2. Divine care—Matt 6:28 “Consider the lilies…” 3. Sanctuary design—lily-shaped capitals on Solomon’s bronze pillars (1 Kings 7:22), fragments of which have been excavated at Tel Dan (Biran, 1994). The temple imagery hints that the groom’s lips are as sacred as the sanctuary, reinforcing marital love as covenantal worship. Covenantal Typology Early church expositors (e.g., Gregory of Nyssa, Homily 15 on the Song) read the groom as Christ. His “lily” lips proclaim the gospel, while the dripping myrrh anticipates sacrificial suffering (John 19:39). Thus the simile layers: • Incarnation beauty (Songs 5:9-12) • Atoning aroma (5:13) • Resurrection vitality (5:14-16; cf. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16) Cultural Context Wall paintings at Avaris (c. 15th century BC) show bouquet-bearing couples with stylized lilies near their mouths, associating romantic speech with floral fragrance (Bietak, Avaris V, 2002). Such iconography illuminates the Song’s metaphor in its Near-Eastern milieu. Practical Application 1. Marital Communication—Let words carry “fragrance,” not bitterness (Ephesians 4:29). 2. Worship—Adorn speech with purity and beauty, reflecting temple lily motifs (Psalm 19:14). 3. Evangelism—Mirror the Savior’s “lily lips” that speak grace and truth; proclaim a gospel both beautiful and fragrant to the repentant (Romans 10:15). Conclusion Lilies are invoked for their blended visual elegance, gentle curvature, subtle blush, and pervasive perfume, perfectly capturing the aesthetic, sensual, and theological richness of covenant love between bride and bridegroom—ultimately pointing to the loveliness and life-giving speech of our Redeemer. |
    |